Tinker Tea & coffee for babies?

BlueNose, again...Mother here...I would rather give my son caffeine that occurs naturally in coffee to calm him down, as opposed to chemical stimulants in medications used to treat ADD and ADHD. The only side effect of coffee? He's calmer and has to pee a little bit more. Caffeine to a child is NOT a bad thing, in moderation. I would not let him drink soda-HFCS is horrible, and one 12 ounce can has like 10 teaspoons of sugar in it. Any positive effects of the caffeine would be completely negated by the HFCS, artificial flavors and colors, etc.

I give my son coffee because of the mild stimulant having the opposite effect on him. I'm pretty sure he has ADD. (He has EVERY freaking symptom, except the whole "cruel to animals" thing..) It really does calm him down and help him focus. I usually do 8 oz coffee to 8 oz milk, and then sweeten it with either real maple syrup or agave syrup. He'll drink it over ice. I just started giving him coffee late last year, and not every day. Usually just when we're going out. I also allowed his teacher to give him a small amount of coffee milk halfway through the day. As far as that Tinker Tea poison? I think that is thoroughly going overboard. I doubt very highly the pediatrician, unless he or she is getting paid off, would agree that Tinker tea was "okay" unless it was, say, 1/4 a cup of it.

In some cultures babies are given coffee (mixed into milk) because apparently it has the reverse effect on babies as it does on adults - it makes them sleep. I don't like to pass judgment on other people's cultural practices but it's not something I would do myself obviously. But in a case like this it does sound completely unwarranted and dangerous. I hope that some of that is exaggerated for television. That concoction with pixie sticks sounds truly disgusting!

I saw something disgusting last night , it was a segment on one of the tabloid shows about Toddlers and Tiara's about a 2 yr old pageant child whose mom makes her drink coffee (since the age of 9 months) and what she calls Tinker Tea which is Mountain Dew mixed with sweet tea mixed with Pixie sticks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know pixie sticks we got as a child that was pure sugar in different colors ya that one! She gives this to her before going on stage and even at home so the child is peppy for the judges and the mom is saying that the child pediatrician says it's okay to do this, WHAT KIND OF DOCTOR WOULD OKAY THAT???????????????????? This little girl can have a heart attack for god sake, she's going to ruin this child's health and for what? a trophy! The kid is already addicted because it shows her crying for her coffee in the morning and tinker tea. I would think this is child abuse, I hope someone can do something to save this child from a mother who is looking for fame. It kills me because there are so many people out there that would make wonderful parents and can't have children and then you get people who can have them and treat them badly like this, just kills me inside.

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